Process and apparatus for integrated sucker rod conditioning and shot peening
AssigneeTRC Services, Inc.
InventorRodrigo Ariel Ruiz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods treat sucker rods in a machine through a multi-step process. Initially, sucker rods are cleaned before being conditioned. The conditioning process involves using a defined type and a defined size of media, applied at a first intensity to the rods using first media accelerators (first wheels with a specific diameter and rotational speed, and/or imparting a certain amount of media). The conditioned surfaces are then shot peened at a higher intensity using second media accelerators, which can have larger diameters, faster rotational speeds, and/or can impart a greater amount of media. Both the conditioning and shot peening processes involve reclaiming the media for reuse.
Claims30
A machine to treat sucker rods, the machine comprising:
- a controller;
- a chamber;
- handling equipment being configured to handle the sucker rods in the chamber of the machine;
- media delivery equipment being configured to deliver media of a defined type and a defined size;
- conditioning equipment in operational communication with the controller and receiving the media from the media delivery equipment, the conditioning equipment being configured to condition unconditioned surfaces of the sucker rods in a conditioning process in the chamber, the conditioning process being configured to remove impurities from the unconditioned surfaces to produce conditioned surfaces without penetrations imparting compressive residual stress, the conditioning equipment having one or more first media accelerators being configured to impart the media of the defined type and the defined size at a first intensity at the sucker rods in the chamber;
- and
- shot peening equipment in operational communication with the controller and receiving the media from the media delivery equipment of the same defined type and the same defined size as received by the conditioning equipment, the shot peening equipment being configured to shot peen the conditioned surfaces of the sucker rods in a shot peening process in the chamber following the conditioning process, the shot peening process being configured to shot peen the conditioned surfaces without being dampened by the impurities, the shot peening equipment having one or more second media accelerators being configured to impart the media of the same defined type and the same defined size as the conditioning process at a second intensity at the sucker rods in the chamber, the second intensity of the shot peening process being greater than the first intensity of the conditioning process and being configured to shot peen the conditioned surfaces with the penetrations imparting the compressive residual stress.
A method to treat sucker rods, the method comprising:
- handling the sucker rods in a machine;
- delivering media of a defined type and a defined size to both a conditioning process and a shot peening process;
- conditioning unconditioned surfaces of the sucker rods in the conditioning process by receiving the media of the defined type and the defined size, imparting the media of the defined type and the defined size at a first intensity at the sucker rods using one or more first media accelerators operated in the machine, and removing impurities from the unconditioned surfaces to produce conditioned surfaces without penetrations imparting compressive residual stress;
- and
- shot peening the conditioned surfaces of the sucker rods in the shot peening process following the conditioning process by receiving the media of the same defined type and the same defined size as received by the conditioning process, imparting the media of the defined type and the defined size at a second intensity at the sucker rods using one or more second media accelerators in the machine, the second intensity being greater than the first intensity, and producing the penetrations imparting the compressive residual stress in the conditioned surfaces without being dampened by the impurities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.